Clearing of native vegetation
At least 61 per cent of the original native vegetation of New South Wales has been cleared, thinned or substantially or significantly disturbed since 1788. In the case of some types of native environments, this figure exceeds 90 per cent.
Among other impacts, the clearing of native vegetation has:
- caused widespread fragmentation of ecological communities
- reduced the viability of ecological communities by disrupting ecological functions
- resulted in the destruction of habitat and loss of biological diversity
- increased the amount of habitat that is suitable for invasive species
- led to soil and bank erosion, increased salinity and loss of productive land.
Clearing of native vegetation - key threatening process listing
The NSW Scientific Committee has declared land clearing to be a 'key threatening process' in NSW. See its reasons for making this declaration.
Clearing of native vegetation - factsheet (PDF - 194KB)
This explains why the clearing of native vegetation was listed as a key threatening process, and outlines the effect of this listing.
Page last updated: 28 February 2011
